Becoming Emma
by Kristin324
Summary: What if Emma was put into witness protection program to hide from her crazy ex Neal and so they send her to a small town named Storybrooke and there she is given a new life which includes a same sex marriage with a beautiful brunette and 10 year old son. Regina whom has been working for the program for years and helps people adjust to a new life decides to become Emma's wife.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So, over on Facebook I suggested a story idea about Emma being in the Witness Protection Program and with so much feedback I decided to start writing it.

Now, I don't know much about the Witness Protection Program and a lot of it is just what I assume it would be like. This is also AU but I still try to keep the characters as they are, personality wise.

Thank you My for being an awesome Beta! :)

I don't own OUAT. What I have researched about WITSEC I will merge with my imagination. :)

ENJOY!

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The worst part about knowing her life was going to change is the time it takes to actually happen. What feels like an eternity is actually merely only a few days, but not knowing what day or time that pivotal moment will occur has her tense and jumpy. Taking a deep breath to relax her shoulders, Hope reaches for the nearest blanket and wraps herself up and settles on the couch.

It's mid March and Spring is taking its sweet time coming. She eyes the large orange envelope on her table; her new life word by word is typed on pearly white paper. _Emma Swan._ Her mind drifts to a brief memory of her and Neal watching the swans on the lake as they sit under an oak tree one summer afternoon. Neal, her ex fiancee and the reason she needs a new life. She shivered and brought the blanket tighter around her, her life wasn't hers anymore and she wished that she could go back and change it all, even go all the way back to before she met him; she would have never said yes to that hot chocolate with cinnamon.

It took her 6 years to realize he was a monster, his bad boy attitude won her over in the beginning and he was the top guy of a biker club. She was naive to think that the club was anything more than a group of lonely men. Hope found his dedication to the club appealing and she fell hard and fast and before she knew it, the red flags and late-night meetings that should have been evident were invisible to her until she witnessed the crime.

Shaking her head, she forced her thoughts down a different path, refusing to relive that memory. A loud knock echoed through the house and Hope jumped up immediately, the beating of her heart thumping loud in her ears.

"Coming," she yelled, scraping her bare thigh on the end table as she hurried to the door. As she opened the door, a gust of crisp cool air hit her face forcing her to hide slightly behind the door, awkwardly.

"Hello, ma'am this is Agent Kristos and I'm Agent Lorenzo."

A tall blonde said pointing to himself and his partner. Nodding her head, she waited for them to continue.

"We are here to pick you up, please gather all the belongings you wish to take with you. Assuming you read the instructions given to you, there shouldn't be a problem." the other partner stated, his hazel eyes quickly scanning his surroundings.

Hope felt the need to invite them in but knew they wouldn't accept, so she held up her index finger and quickly ran into the other room to retrieve her bags she packed a few days ago. She was glad she was one of the few who actually had the chance to pack and was given some notice; some don't even know a thing and are swept away in a rush and unable to pack a single bag or let alone turn off their stove.

With one last look around the house and grabbing the envelope off the table, she allowed the men to escort her to the black SUV parked a few houses down. Her heart ached for the life she was leaving but it was the only way to keep herself safe and as she plopped down onto the leather back seat, she sighed and told herself this was necessary.

"Hi, Emma." Hope heard and turned her head to the soft spoken woman.

She stared at the brunette, straight shoulder length hair and a dark navy blazer caught her attention.

"Uh, Hi." She was instructed to memorize her new persona but she couldn't do it and she was known to not listen to authorities from time to time. It was just all too overwhelming.

The brunette stared for a few seconds more and smirked, "You did not memorize..." she trailed off and Hope felt her cheeks warm up.

"I'm sorry." Hope chuckled, nervously.

"You were given instructions for a reason, Miss Swan."

Hope raised an eyebrow and cocked her head as she turned her body ever so slightly towards the brunette.

"And you are?" Hope asked.

"I'm Regina Mills, your wife."

Hope's eyes went wide and she began to laugh, loudly.

"I don't see anything funny about this, Miss Swan!" Regina spat, annoyance written all over her face.

"Will you stop calling me Miss Swan!" Hope spat right back, trying to calm her laughter and her nerves.

"I certainly will not, Emma! You are no longer..." Hope watched as the brunette opened up a file that sat to the left of the woman's hip, "Hope Nolan, you are Emma Swan and you will need to learn her completely; eat, sleep and breathe her!" Regina said looking up and meeting Hope's surprised face.

"Hope is gone and Emma is here. I know it's difficult but it's a must that we get this right, from now on you will be addressed as Emma, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Hope whispered and turned her head to face the tinted window, willing herself not to cry; cry for the life of Hope Nolan.

"Emma," Regina whispered a short time after.

With a sigh, Emma turned her head to meet dark espresso brown eyes. "Yes?"

she noticed her eyes soften just a tad and a smile form on red stained lips.

"It's nice to meet you." She said and held out her hand to shake.

Emma shook her hand, a tingle ran up her forearm and she looked up to see Regina staring at their joined hands. Clearing her throat, she took her hand back and wiped it on her bare thigh, and only then did she realize she was wearing gym shorts, groaning in embarrassment.

"Will you take out your notes, I'd like to help you memorize." She heard Regina say. Nodding her head, she reached for the file and opened it.

"Emma Swan, age 28, from Storybrooke, Maine. Spouse: Regina Mills-Swan. Child: Henry Mills, age 10." Emma read out loud.

"Emma is the town's Deputy, working her way to become sheriff and Regina is the Mayor-" Regina read out loud.

"You are?" Emma asked surprisingly.

"Yes." was Regina's reply.

"Are you...you know... is your persona..." Emma trailed off.

"No, everything you read and everything you will come to know and witness is all me." Regina answered.

"Why?" Before the brunette could answer, Emma continued. "I mean why would you want to show the real you when the majority of the people around you are fake and...doesn't it feel rather invasive?"

Regina stared at the blonde, her green eyes squinted in thought as she waited for an answer. No one ever asked her that question, no one ever seemed to bother or care enough to know what she truly thought. It was rather scary how raw this woman just made her feel. Looking back up at Emma, she began to speak.

"Miss Mills, we are here." Agent Lorenzo interrupted.

"We're home." Emma heard the fake delight in her own voice and smiled; she could do this, she had to do this. She was Emma Swan: badass Deputy and a rad mom, a woman who took no crap from anyone- unless it was from her son and wife.

Overwhelmed was an understatement and she felt her hand shake as she pulled the door open. This is it, her new life.

A hand grabbed hers and she looked up to see Regina standing at her door, her green eyes locked with brown and she smelled her perfume; apples. They were close enough that her bare legs caressed the pant leg of her suit as she exited the SUV.

"Come on, they will grab your stuff. I'll show you our house." Regina lead her, hand in hand, away from the vehicle. She felt herself tighten her grip on the brunette's hand as she continued their walk down a smooth grey sidewalk. It was a quaint, small town and she felt the peace of it already. Emma smiled and took in the scenery of her new home.


	2. Chapter 2

**2 days ago:**

Regina sat at the table, waiting for the door to open. She checked her watch; 3:00 P.M on the dot.

"Mom, I'm home!" she heard Henry yell. She watched as he came around the corner and skidded to a stop, his forehead creasing in confusion.

"Mom? I figured you would be in your office, you okay?"

Regina watched her son gently place his book bag on the bar stool and slowly walk towards her. She hated how timid he was with her, as if he's waiting for a bomb to explode.

"Henry, come sit down please." He quietly sat down next to her and waited. Regina took a deep breath and then cleared her throat. "I'm sorry... He called me today and told me he needed to reschedule."

She watched as his brown orbs lost that small spark and he looked at his hands resting on the table, slouching forward.

"Did he say why?" Henry asked, and she saw the moisture in his eyes. Regina was silent for a minute trying to think of a way to explain the situation for a 10 year old to understand.

"Henry, your father has...responsibilities that he has to do." Regina sighed.

"You mean his other kids." Henry mumbled and sat against the back of the chair, folding his arms on his chest. Regina watched her son pout and knew how hurt he was, how much he had been looking forward to spending the week with his dad.

"Henry, your dad loves you very much." She began and reached out to touch his hand.

"No! Stop trying to make me feel better by telling me what I want to hear!" Henry shouted and abruptly stood up and stomped up the stairs.

Regina cringed as she heard his door slam shut and she closed her eyes and sighed again and put her head in her hands, "fucking, Daniel!" she mumbled aloud. Her phone vibrated and she pressed the lock button to allow the caller to go to voicemail, she wasn't in the mood to speak to anyone. Her son was hurting and there was nothing she could do, she felt utterly helpless. Five years ago when her and Daniel broke their engagement off she thought they could co-parent with no problems and for the first 2 years there was none, until he got his girlfriend pregnant with twins and started another family of his own.

Slowly, he started cancelling plans and visitations and when Summer came and went with not a single call from him, she knew it was a matter of time before Henry would start to blame her for his father's' actions. She immediately got full custody of him but the state of Maine demanded that Daniel get visitations; once a month Henry would have to spend a week with Daniel. This was the third time in six months he had to reschedule.

Regina stood up and grabbed Henry's book bag to take it to him when the doorbell rang. She opened the door to an apologetic Robin.

"Regina, Hello." Regina opened the door further and stepped out of the way to let him come in.

"Robin, what do you want?" She closed the door and directed him to the living room.

"I called you but you in answer." He replied pulling out an envelope and handing it to Regina.

"What's this?" Regina questioned, taking the envelope and sitting on the couch, pulling out a file. She didn't have to ask what the file was; she has seen hundreds just like this one in the last 10 years working for WITSEC (Witness Security Program).

Robin stayed quiet as Regina read through the documents, she was the only one in the program that had a knack for helping Citizens adjust to their new life. He never understood how one person with such a hostile attitude could calm the most frightened individual and manage to get them settled into their personas so easily.

"She's blonde, tall, slim, and seems really sweet." He informed.

Regina nodded her head reading the folder she had laying across her lap. Written in poor cursive, she skimmed through the file, picking up on the highlights; personality, the reason of transport, her favorite color, her dislikes, and the little bit of childhood the blonde gave.

"But there is a problem," she heard Robin mumble with a sigh as he sat down next to her, the file falling off her lap; papers spewing everywhere.

"Robin! You have no sense of personal space, do you?" She barked at him as she crouched down on the gray carpet to pick up the papers.

"Gold has her down as married," he spoke ignoring Regina's bark, "It's with another female and well, no one wants to be a part of that." He stated, clearing his throat, uncomfortably.

Regina's head snapped up and she arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow, dark eyes penetrated light and she just stared.

"Be apart of that?" She seethed, straightening up and pulling down her suit blazer in place. She huffed, "Gosh, 2019 and still people can't get over themselves! You do realize that same sex has been around for a very long time?"

She watched Robin gulp and his eyes were avoiding her.

Silence filled the room and a frustrated Regina huffed once more, "Fine, go tell Gold I'll do it, but-" she interrupted him as he opened his mouth to speak. "I will be playing myself, no fake anything! And Henry will be apart of this. That poor woman..." she trailed off, bringing the folder between the two of them.

"Did you even read her file, Robin?" Regina whispered, her heart ached for this stranger.

Wiping his hands on his denim thighs he stood, "Thank you Regina, I'll get the paperwork going straight away." He swiftly walked out of her house and she watched him go. She never intentionally put herself in with someone at the program. Running her fingers through her brown locks, her eyes fell on the small picture under the coffee table. Soft green eyes and a pale face stared up at her.

Bending down she picked up the picture and before placing it in the crease of the folder, she turned to read the back— Hope Nolan, 28.

Regina rubbed her forehead, she had a headache; sighing, she put the picture in the folder and placed the file down on the counter. She glanced at the staircase and realized that Henry had not come down yet. Looking at her watch she headed towards his room.

"Henry, want to order a pizza?" she asked as she opened his bedroom door. Henry was not in the room, panic rose in her chest and she looked around the empty room and her eyes landed on the open window, the curtains blowing in the breeze. "Henry!" Regina yelled through the open window, the crisp evening air burning her lungs.

Regina ran out of the mansion, panting and trying to think how a 10-year-old was able to climb out of a two story window. She went to the side of the house to check and noticed a tree she never gave a second thought to was literally a stepping stone for Henry to climb down safely. She gave herself a reminder to get someone out as soon as possible to cut that tree down! Huffing, she ran towards the only place she could think he would be; Granny's.

The best thing about living in such a small town was that everything was easy access even on feet and before she knew it, she was stopping at the corner of Granny's Restaurant, bent over with her hands resting on her knees trying to catch her breath. Panting, she entered the warm establishment, the scent of onions and coffee assaulted her nose.

"Henry!" she hysterically called and watched every head raise up to look at her.

"Regina," She felt Ruby the brunette waitress take her arm and lead her to behind the counter.

"Is Henry here?" Regina asked pulling her arm free and walking towards the back of the restaurant.

"He's upstairs with Belle," Granny called from the ice machine in the corner.

"I'm sorry, we thought you knew, otherwise I would have called." Ruby said nervously.

"Ms. Lucas, why would I ever let my 10 year old son come to this place without me?!"

Regina seethed, turning around to glare at Ruby. Ruby's eyes glanced at the heavy rise and fall of the Mayor's chest and quickly averted her eyes and looked into dark brown orbs.

"I'm sorry!" She squeaked out. Regina turned towards the stairs without another word and Ruby followed.

"Henry!" Regina called opening the hotel door, she saw his head pop up in surprise and Belle standing up from the chair immediately.

"Regina, I...we thought you..." Belle turned to Henry with wide eyes, "Henry! You didn't tell her you were coming here?" She asked, her cheeks turning a dark pink in anger.

Henry stood up, hands up in defense as he turned to his mother, "I'm sorry, I needed to get away and I didn't mean to worry you." Henry bowed his head down in shame and waited for the backlash he knew he would receive, instead he felt strong arms wrap around his shoulders.

"Henry." Regina whispered and squeezed her arms tighter around her son. "I'm sorry."

Henry heard her whisper, he relaxed in her arms and let her hold him. He eyed Ruby and Belle from behind his mom and they looked confused. He nodded when Ruby pointed to the door, pulling Belle out of the room. Regina pulled away slowly and continued.

"I'm sorry you couldn't go to your father's house for the week and I'm sorry you felt the need to get away and I just wish you would have told me, I was so scared when I saw your room empty." Regina admitted and sat down in the chair, Henry followed suit.

"I know...dad doesn't want me..." Henry whispered and his lips trembled. Regina's heart broke at the sight. "I'm sorry I left, I won't do it again." Henry cried. Regina threw her arms around her son and held him tight once more.

"I love you so much, Henry. Your dad may not be in your life the way you want him to but I promise that I will never leave you and I want you Henry." Regina stated in her serious Mayor tone, looking into her son's wet eyes. Henry gulped and cried harder for the father he missed.

"I love you too, mom." Henry whimpered into her shoulder.

They sat there for a long time, allowing the pain of the past to trickle down their faces. When Henry eventually pulled away, his puffy eyes fell on his mother's. Clearing her throat, she stood up and offered her hand.

"Lets go downstairs and get some pie." Henry took her hand and walked with Regina down to the restaurant.

"Can I have some hot cocoa too?" He nervously asked, knowing his mom hated that choice of refreshment.

"With cinnamon." His mom replied with a small smile. Regina knew their relationship needed more than a crying session in a hotel room above a diner but tonight was a start and one she knew would be a turning point in their lives.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma stopped at the perfected manicured lawn. She felt Regina stop inches from her back, the scent of apples swirled around them and it fit perfectly with the cool breeze from the west of them.

"Wow, you really have a beautiful house."

Emma took in every inch of the massive house, the white exterior was bright against the pastel colors surrounding it. Emma envisioned herself on the balcony looking out towards the street, watching the hues of the sunset. Shaking her head slightly she turned to Regina.

"You live here by yourself?" The brunette smirked and looked up at her house trying to see it through Emma's eyes.

"My son and I live here...and now you." Regina replied, walking towards the front door backwards never taking her eyes off bright green ones.

Emma followed with as much hesitation as a scared puppy would follow their new owner.

" Emma, it's going to be okay."

Emma watched her stained red lips move as she heard the comforting tone in her voice. Nodding her head, she inhaled a deep breath of air and waited for Regina to unlock the door. The warmth that spread around Emma's body felt like a hug that she didn't know she needed. Her bare thighs tingle in contentment as goosebumps arose on the skin. The scent was unique and not of apples like she expected; a mix of floral and lavender. The echo of Regina's heels caught her attention and she looked down at the marble floor and then the small detailed molding that span the rest of the house.

"Gorgeous." Emma murmured and saw the flush of pink on the brunette's face.

"Thank you." Regina replied, closing the door behind them.

Emma stood still, anxiety instantly appearing and the feeling of being trapped struck her hard in her chest. She closed her eyes to calm down her beating heart and tried to focus on the silence that engulfed the room.

"Emma," Regina called as she walked closer to the blonde noticing the fast rise and fall of her chest and small pants of breath. "Emma," Regina tried again and stood in front of her, feeling the puff of air hitting her face.

Mere inches from her face, Regina took in every inch of her features, down to the small scar near her hairline. Taking a deep breath, Regina tried a different approach.

"Hope." Regina tried and watched green eyes flutter open, wide and scared and something she couldn't pinpoint. Emma stared into brown orbs, drowning herself in espresso chocolate.

"I'm sorry," Emma choked out stepping away knowing what Regina said in the SUV, "I should've memorized, I didn't want to but she's gone and I'm Emma and I can't even hear my name being called, I..."

Frantically, Emma paced the small foyer, her words came out rushed and more mumbles than actual sentences.

"Hey!" Regina roared and grabbed Emma's shoulders to keep her still, the blonde going stiff against her touch. "It's okay, it's okay.. even if you did memorize everything I don't expect you to be perfect and not respond to the name of who you were. It's okay, I promise. I've helped so many with this struggle..."

Emma pushed Regina away more forcibly than she wanted to and watched the surprised brunette catch her balance on a small table to her left.

"It's more than a struggle!" Emma yelled and the feeling felt rejuvenated so she continued, "It was...is my life. I can't just read a stupid file of a persona and just be okay with being her, eat, sleep and breathe her, " Emma air quoted Regina from earlier, "I'm supposed to become some woman and have a life that I didn't even choose. You all gave me no choice, he ruined everything!"

Emma screamed, feeling the tears trickle down her cheeks and with one last deep breath, she stopped abruptly and stared at the woman in front of her. Silence was defeating as Emma waited for the brunette to speak, her heart thumped wildly in her chest.

"Are you finished?" Regina asked calmly, leaning her shoulder on the archway of the kitchen, ankles crossed at her feet. Emma nodded and felt foolish and embarrassed.

"Hope, you are here because we want to keep you safe, we want you to be able to have a choice and a life that isn't tainted with fear but the only way to achieve that is to give you a second chance to start over. I can't imagine what you went through, so many of us here have a bad past and memories they wish weren't real but they are, and WITSEC gives everyone a new path of happiness, of safety; Yes it's difficult at first and honestly I'm sure many citizens I have helped adjust here still struggle with the life they HAD to leave behind, it wasn't a choice; it was a necessity."

Regina replied and took Emma's hand in her own. Emma stared at their joined hands and used her other hand to wipe at her still falling tears. She never wanted this but she did agree, it was necessary.

"Okay," she whispered, nodding her head and putting space between them once again, their hands falling at their waistlines. Clearing her throat, Emma looked towards the stairs of the house.

"Can I get a tour and then a shower?" She nervously chuckled and avoided Regina's attempt at eye contact.

"Sure, Henry will be home soon and I still need to tell him about...us." Regina stated and started to walk towards the grand stairs.

"Wait, you haven't told him yet?!" Emma barked skipping to catch up with the brunette. Regina turned around and Emma almost collided into her.

"Everyone has their struggles, right?" She replied and proceeded up the stairs. Emma watched her climb, thinking she was a peculiar woman. Sighing, Emma caught up with her at the top of the stairs and concentrated on the tour of her new house, and man was her new house wonderful.

The warm spay felt amazing against her scalp, her hair fanned around her chest and over her breasts. The life she had flowing down the drain, Emma wiped the water from her eyes and reached for the shampoo. There was so much to learn about her new persona and the people in it, it overwhelmed her and she tried to focus on the righteousness of it all because she knew that she was safe here, deep down she had nothing to worry about. Sighing, she began to lather herself up with the fresh scent of strawberries, she willed herself to push Hope into the back of her mind and allow Emma Swan to take over, trying to remember the facts written in her new file.

Her thoughts drifted to Regina: brown eyes and red stained lips and chestnut hair. She was so understanding and she didn't want to disappoint her. Emma's mind raced with jumbled-up memories of Hope Nolan and Emma Swan's written ones and she felt her heart tighten and a sob escaped her mouth. She was so tired of crying. Allowing the tears to flow, she finished her shower and dried off with a plush purple towel. "It's your first day, stop being so hard on yourself." She whispered out loud. Emma dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a black tank top and exited the bathroom and curiously ventured downstairs. Hearing hushed voices from the kitchen, she padded along the cold marble floor until she stood in the archway watching Regina take a sip out of a coffee mug and the boy sitting on a bar stool with brown hair took a bite out of a sandwich.

"Emma." Regina greeted, setting her mug down.

"This is Henry." She introduced.

Emma watched Regina's eyes move from her face to her son's. Turning around in the stool the boy smiled warmly.

"HI, Emma."

Emma smiled softly and replied.

"Hi, kid."


	4. Chapter 4

As she took out the lunch meat from the refrigerator, she heard the muffled sound of water running upstairs and she shook her head at the reality of the situation; this stranger was supposed to live with them, be her wife and the mother of her son. As she began to fix Henry's sandwich, she thought of ways to convince herself that there was no other choice in the matter, but she knew deep down that she was simply lonely and maybe that bottled-up feeling was the sole reason why she decided to tell Robin she would be Emma's wife. Scraping the knife against the mayonnaise jar and putting away the food and condiment, Regina decided to make some coffee for herself and Emma. Pausing, Regina glanced up at the ceiling where she knew the guest bathroom was, and pondered if Emma even drank coffee; her file didn't say so at least.

"Mom!" Henry shouted, slamming the door behind him.

"In here!" Regina replied, setting the small plate on the bar and grabbing the juice from the fridge, pouring the content into a glass.

"Hey! What's this?" Henry asked, eyeing the food and juice on the bar.

"You don't let me have an after school snack, you say it will ruin my appetite for dinner." Henry continued as he sat down on the bar stool, glancing at his mom as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

" Yes, well, I need to talk to you about something and I wanted to do something nice for you today, okay?" Regina answered, taking in the worried look on her son's face.

"Is it dad? What happened?" Henry asked, scooting closer to the edge of his seat, alarmed.

Shaking her head slightly, Regina countined, reassuringly.

"No, baby, nothing happened to your dad..." Regina took a sip of her coffee, not actually sure how to begin. Sighing against the rim of her mug, she fell silent and stared at her young boy; he bit into his sandwich and hummed with pleasure.

"Henry, you know how I help the people in this town, the new ones that move here?" Regina asked, cringing at the way she began.

Henry sat his glass of juice down, and his eyebrows creased in thought as Regina waited for his response.

"Yeah, you are the Mayor of this town." Henry replied sarcastically. Regina arched her eyebrow in slight surprise and then chuckled.

"Well, yes I am but I meant..."

Regina sighed and leaned her weight against the countertop and started tapping her manicured nails on the granite, trying to figure out a way to explain. She glanced up at her son to see him downing the rest of his juice, not even noticing her internal struggle.

"Remember when that little boy from your class...Taylor, and his mom came over for dinner that one night and they were so scared and Taylor told you that his name wasn't Taylor?" Regina asked.

Peeking up at her from the inside of the glass, Henry nodded. "I remember, he said that he had to play pretend and they were hiding from the bad guys. He said that his real name was Justin."

Regina nodded in remembrance.

"Yes and you remember how they were always around for a few weeks and they stopped being scared?"

"Yes…" Henry trailed off in thought.

"Henry, I have to help someone, but this time it will be different..." Regina began, waiting for Henry to focus on her.

"But this time I will need your help because I have decided that you and I will become her new family."

Regina held her breath and waited for a response. She noticed his eyes go wide and his foot began to tap lightly against the footrest on the bar stool.

"A family?" Henry asked, confused but Regina heard the tinge of hopefulness.

Taking a deep breath, Regina searched for the right words and decided that the only way for him to understand is to be truthful.

"Henry, Taylor and his mom were running away from a bad guy and they had to get new identities; a new name and memories and a place to live, most of everyone here in Storybrooke used to be someone else and I helped them become who they are now; the same people whom you love and see everyday."

Silence surrounded them and briefly Regina wondered what Emma was doing. She took another sip of her warm coffee.

"Belle and Ruby?" Henry asked and Regina nodded. "Charlie and Julie from next door? My best friend?"

Regina allowed the silence again, giving Henry time to process the information.

"Like how Clark Kent can't tell anyone that he is Superman?" Henry asked.

"Kind of...They can't be both, Henry, okay picture this; Superman witnessed a bad guy-"

"Lex Luthor!" Henry exclaimed and Regina chuckled.

"Okay, Lex Luthor...Superman is scared of Lex." Regina raises her hand to stop Henry from interrupting, " Superman hides from Lex by changing into Clark Kent and decides to live on a farm and Lex has no clue that Superman is Clark. Lex can't find Clark and Clark Kent will never be Superman again because Lex Luthor will catch him and hurt him."

"Oooh!" Henry nods his head and takes a bite of his sandwich." So, it's like they forget who they were before on purpose..." Henry ponders out loud and Regina agrees.

"Who are we helping? Are we forgetting who we are?" Henry asked, then continued, "I don't want to forget." He whispered.

"No, we are staying exactly who we are and before you even ask, no, we never were someone else. You have always been Henry… but helping this woman, Hen, some things will change." Regina stated.

"Like what?" Henry handed Regina his glass so that she could refill it.

"Our last name for starters, but that's nothing for you to worry about, and this woman will live with us for a really long time and she and I will be…" Regina fell silent.

"Family...Like how me you and dad were?" Henry guessed.

"Yes, we will have to start acting like one in public...well all the time, really. I know it will be an adjustment and different but just be you, Henry. Just do what you've always done but know she will be part of it all now."

"Now, please finish your sandwich." Regina took a sip of her coffee as she hoped that this arrangement wouldn't end in disaster.

"Emma" Regina greeted as she saw the blonde approach. She noted her nerves from across the room and how her eyes were puffy and red; she had been crying again.

"This is Henry." Regina introduced her son to Emma, glancing between the two.

"Hi, Emma!" Henry replied turning around in his chair and giving her a big smile. It warmed her heart to see how kind her boy could be, she was sure he would've taken the information differently.

"Hey, Kid." Emma greeted

Regina chuckled slightly at the endearment, she knew from her file that Emma wasn't a mother nor had much experience with kids.

"How was the shower?" Regina asked, grabbing the now empty plate and glass. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Uh, sure," came the response from behind her. "The shower was great, thank you."

"Emma, how do you like your new home?" Henry asked as he turned slightly in his chair to face Emma.

"It's nice, big and clean." Emma chuckled as she sat down next to Henry at the breakfast bar.

"My room is not that clean, but don't tell mom." Henry whispered loudly.

Regina eyed her son as she sat Emma's coffee mug down along with some sugar packets and creamer. "Your room better be spotless Henry Daniel, you were told to clean that room two days ago!" Regina firmly stated. She noticed a small smile from Emma and winked at her; the blush that formed on her cheeks was adorable.

"Why don't you go ahead and start on your homework, Henry, while Emma and I go talk in my office for a bit," Regina suggested. Seeing Henry nod his head, she proceeded out of the kitchen, the smell of strawberries behind her alerted her that Emma followed suit.

"It was nice to meet you, Ma." Henry stated hurriedly as they were almost turning the corner out of the kitchen. Abruptly both women stopped and turned slightly around. Regina's breath hitched, and she heard the small gasp from Emma. Henry sheepishly looked at them and bowed his head down, Regina could tell he just realized what a mistake that might have been; she silently gave him props for how fast he was falling into character. Glancing at Emma, she saw the shock written all over her face.

"You too, Henry." Emma squeaked out and Regina watched as she walked over to Henry and awkwardly gave him a hug. Regina's heart warmed at the sight; Emma ruffled his dark hair and said, "Now finish your homework and then go clean your room."

Regina smirked at the blush on Emma's face and Henry chuckled loudly.

"Alright, Deputy, leave the poor kid alone." Regina stated in her Mayor tone and watched Emma's blush deepen. She smiled at Emma as the blonde swiftly walked passed her. Giving a nod to Henry, she followed the blonde to her office.


	5. Chapter 5

"You always wanted to be Mayor? Emma asked, looking up at Regina from the couch in her office. The brunette smiled softly at her.

"No, I wanted to be a social worker for the children in the foster system."

Emma's heart skipped a beat and she looked away quickly towards the open window; the sun was setting, and a hue of pink appeared in the sky. She turned to glance at Regina and saw her head tilt, her brows creased in thought, staring at her.

"I was in the foster system." Emma admitted, glancing at her hands in her lap. It wasn't a part of her life that she shared often, she wasn't proud of it. Too many emotions and memories assaulted her at once and she leaned back in the leather couch and closed her eyes, sighing.

She heard Regina shuffling around the office and then felt the couch shift under her as Regina sat down.

"It's not in your file...You said you had a lovely family and a fun childhood with Summers-"

"Summers at the lake house in Bolton." Emma finished for her. She opened her eyes and turned her face to look at Regina who had her file in her hand. She sighed deeply and sat up, pulling her legs up on the couch; her knee landed on Regina's thigh and neither of them moved.

"I lied, Regina...Yeah, I know I wasn't supposed to, but I don't like talking about my childhood. And yes at one point I did have a lovely family for about 9 months, until the woman's sister became pregnant and decided to give up the child to her sister; I was thrown away like an old toy..." Emma felt a headache coming on.

"Emma, I'm sorry..." Regina reached for Emma's hand but thought otherwise a moment later and rested her hand on her own thigh.

"I don't need your pity!" Emma barked, her green eyes hardened on brown orbs. Regina shook her head and stared at the storm in her eyes. Emma continued, "I don't want anyone to know, Regina..It's too much-"

"Hey," Regina whispered and this time she put her hand on Emma's knee and squeezed. "I won't tell anyone, but I would hope that in time, you can feel comfortable enough to tell me more about yourself..." Regina trailed off and stood to put the file back on her desk.

"I hate that file." Emma mumbled. She stood up and walked towards the window, the light chill of the wind felt good on her heated body. She heard laughter from a distance and her green eyes searched her view of the town from above as they landed on a small boy and girl in a driveway several houses down the street; they were playing with their bikes. Emma's heart tightened and she felt envy in her bloodstream, she never had a bike; she never had the pleasure of playing in a front yard with a sibling. She closed her eyes and demanded the feeling to flee, to swallow the lump in her throat. She hated that her past still had so much control over her.

Emma felt Regina stand beside her, the smell of coffee on her breath as she began to talk in a soft voice which made Emma's heart ache and the need to be held was astonishing.

"I...I won't stand here and tell you that I know how you feel or that I understand because frankly I don't. I don't have a clue how anyone who comes here to start over feels, but you, Ms. Swan, you have a choice to make; right here right now. You can either mope around and resent what we want for you, what I want for you and live in the limbo of fear and the past. Or take that file and embrace the choice you have to become someone better, to tuck the past in bed and make sure the nightmares don't follow you into the daylight."

Emma turned to face the brunette as she continued to talk and she released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"-to start over and be happy, that doesn't mean you have to literally become someone else internally; the hurt from your past- Don't interrupt me, Emma." Regina barked out.

Emma's mouth snapped shut and she stared at the fire in those brown orbs and stayed silent.

"I don't have to know about your past to know how much it hurts you, it's written all over your face, all I'm trying to say here is that you can take your life- take Hope and everything she was and merge her into Emma and start over. Take the file, take me and Henry and start over..."

Emma felt the wetness on her cheek before she realized she was crying. She stared at Regina, they were inches apart now and the warmth of her breath was cooling her tears on her face.

They stared at each other as dark twilight overtook the town and she vaguely heard the crickets begin to chirp. Chocolate brown orbs was all she could focus on, her breathing became irregular and she felt like time stood still. Emma wondered what was going on in her mind, her eyes roaming the olive skin of her face and she shivered when Regina's tongue poked out to moisten her dry plump lips.

"Mom!" Henry called, barging into the office and abruptly stopping at the scene in front of him.

Emma came back to reality and turned to look at Henry, her heart was beating so fast she wouldn't be surprised if Henry heard it.

"Henry Daniel, what did I say about knocking first?!" Regina chided.

Emma began to walk out of the office and Regina and Henry followed. Her breathing evened out by the time she stood in the kitchen, grabbing the coffee mug on the bar and taking a gulp of the cold liquid. She eyed Regina from the rim of the mug, a questioning look in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Henry?" Regina said, annoyance gone from her face.

"Dad's here!" He practically screamed and turned towards the window near the front door, peeking out through the blinds. As if on cue, the doorbell rang and Emma felt the nerves hit her hard. She sat down at the kitchen table and watched Regina open the door and instead of inviting him in, she stepped outside on the porch.

"I can't believe he is here," Henry admitted as he sat down next to Emma at the table.

"He shouldn't be here?" Emma asked looking at the blinds, the crease in the them gave her a slight view of the two, but his jacket was blocking her view of Regina.

"No...he shouldn't." Henry said with distaste. Emma glanced at him and saw the storm brewing in his eyes.

"Hey, kid, what's wrong?" she asked, giving him her full attention. She watched him slump in his chair, his eyes downcasted, his back heaved heavily as he inhaled a deep breath. When she saw his eyes glance towards her, she felt the need to reach out for him but didn't.

"I was suppose to be with him...This was my week with him...He doesn't want me, he has a new family and doesn't want me." Henry repeated with wet eyes.

Emma sat silently, she didn't know how to comfort him or what the circumstances were and wasn't sure what to say. Instead, she pulled her chair closer to his and wrapped her arms around the boy as he sniffled against her shirt.

"I'm sure he loves you..." Emma trailed off as she heard a loud sob escape the small boy. Her heart ached for this sweet child. She rubbed his back and reminded herself that she didn't know a single thing about this family; her new family and she realized she wanted it, she wanted to be a part of their world; she wanted to be better, happy.

"Henry, no one wanted me as a child." she began wondering if this was too deep of a topic to have with a 10 year old. She felt him lift his head and they locked eyes, she reached down and wiped his tears. He sat up and moved closer to her side as she continued to hold him.

"I never had a family," she treaded lightly and coughed to hide her discomfort.

"I don't know if you are aware of what foster children are but I was one of them and I had a lot of families that I lived with as I grew up but I never felt like any of them loved me...loved me enough to keep me as their own." She said quietly. Henry was looking at her now, his tears had stopped.

"Your parents love you, Henry. But sometimes life doesn't happen the way you plan and people leave your life and sometimes you never see them again." Emma sighed deeply and tried again

"What I am trying to say is that...You feel like your dad doesn't want you, because he's not around anymore and he lives with his new family but life changed for him and your mom and so that means what used to be isn't how it is now, and just because he isn't around doesn't mean he doesn't want you...Am I making any sense?" She asked pulling away from him, grabbing his hand. She watched him nod yes and then they sat in silence.

Emma shook head and cringed at the cold coffee as she took the last sip of it.

"Emma?" Henry whispered.

"Yeah, kid?" She noticed the front door opening and Regina walking through the door, alone.

"I'm sorry you didn't have anyone to love you as a kid." Henry said wholeheartedly and Emma immediately felt the prickle of a tear at the corner of her eye and his profile became blurry. She knew the tear had escaped from the pure innocence of this boy. She felt his tiny fingers wipe at her cheek and she chuckled as she lunged forward and embraced him tightly.

"What's going on in here?" She heard Regina ask from the doorway. She kept Henry in her embrace and looked at Regina from his shoulder. The look on her face was pure surprise and...possessiveness. Her hands were at her hips and the look in her chocolate eyes had Emma moving away from Henry.

"Regina," Emma whispered, the flutter in her stomach was so strong she felt a shiver through her body;what did she do wrong?

"Henry, please go to your room." The calmness in her voice was a contrast to the look in her eyes and Emma shuddered, wrapping her arms around her midsection. With one look at Emma, Henry walked out of the kitchen.

"Is everything okay?" Emma asked tentatively.

"No, nothing is okay." Regina whispered, Emma looked up and saw the tears in her eyes. Without a second thought she closed the distance between them and pulled the brunette into a hug. She wrapped her arms around her tighter when Regina melted into her embrace.


	6. Chapter 6

Emma held Regina in the middle of the kitchen, slightly swaying, until she knew for sure that Regina had stopped crying. The embrace felt natural, and even though Emma hasn't been with many women intimately, she had held quite a few in this exact embrace. Something was happening here, and although she wasn't sure what it was exactly, Emma's feelings were swirling around her body like lightening bugs. The fact that they were now supposed to be lovers and wives could be a factor in why she was feeling such a way.

"You okay?" Emma asked softly, pulling back a little to catch her eyes, they were golden brown and red rimmed.

Emma watched the turmoil in her eyes and saw the hesitation to speak. Emma stayed quiet and waited. Within seconds,the brunette's eyes went hard and she stepped out of their embrace completely, backing away towards the foyer.

"I'm fine," Regina replied,straightening out her clothes. Emma knew she was lying but didn't press her. She nodded her head and then glanced up at the staircase.

"You should go talk to Henry..." Emma said. She had a feeling that Henry was upset. Emma looked back at Regina and saw the hardened eyes spark a flame, her lips went thin and the woman stared at Emma.

"What?" Emma asked, curiously, because she had no idea why the brunette was suddenly angry.

"I know how to take care of my own son, Miss Swan!" Regina barked and before Emma could respond, she walked away, the sound of shoes hitting the floor echoed in the house.

Emma was bewildered as she watched her climb the stairs. Sighing, Emma walked into Regina's office to grab the envelope and made herself comfy on the small couch in the living room. She opened up her file and read the entire thing twice before slapping it on the coffee table in the front of her. Not everything in that file was a lie and it brought back a lot of memories she didn't want to remember; it also made her think of Neal and the past she was leaving behind.

" _Why are you not home yet?" Hope asked worriedly as she pulled the curtains to the window open. The rain was pouring down hard and she could barely make out the view of cars lined up along the curb._

" _I'll be home soon, babe. Charlie and I had a few errands to run." Neal said into the phone and then mumbled something she couldn't make out, she assumed he was talking to Charlie in the background._

" _What do you two have to do in the middle of the night when its pouring cats and dogs out there?" Hope asked, walking towards the kitchen to grab the set of candles she had stored above the microwave._

"Hope _..." She heard the warning in his tone and she rolled her eyes and sighed deeply._

" _I'm just wondering! Gosh, why don't you tell me anything anymore!?" Hope yelled; she surprised herself and gasped audibly._

" _It's none of your damn business babe, how many times do we have to argue about this?!" He yelled back. She slumped down in the chair and tried hard to concentrate on the voice in the background._

" _He's up there...We gotta take him." She heard Charlie say._

" _Take who?" Hope questioned, her heart started racing and she felt a pang of fear deep in her heart._

" _Wh-what?" Neal asked distracted and then she heard him sigh, "Hope stop fucking eavesdropping and I will be home when I'm home!" He snapped at her and then she heard the dial tone._

 _Hope threw the phone to the couch in a huff and a tear escape_ _her eye. She had a bad feeling in her gut and she didn't know what to do. She sat there and tried to calm herself down and then a lightbulb went off in her head and she jumped up. Neal had GPS on his phone, their family plan allowed them to see where the other one was located. She barely used the feature and forgot it even existed._

 _Grabbing the phone, she found the app and searched for his location. He was near the harbor which was about a 35 minute drive. "Why the hell is he so far away?" She wondered. She grabbed her jacket and keys and took off in her yellow bug._

If she knew what she would eventually see that night, she would have never acted so irrational, and would have remained the doting fiancé she had always been and stayed at home waiting for him to walk through the front door.

Emma grabbed the envelope and went upstairs to the guest bedroom. She had no idea where Regina was, as she passed by Henry's room, she heard the roar of a video game. She hesitated at his door, wondering if she should bond with him. The look she got earlier from Regina when she walked in on them had her shaking her head and she continued her walk to the bedroom. Once inside, she grabbed a notebook and pen and decided that the only way to memorize is to write down the facts, so she did, she wrote until her hand was cramped and the smell of spaghetti assaulted her nostrils.

Her stomach gurgled in delight and Emma swiftly got off the bed and walked downstairs. Henry met her in the hallway with a small smile.

"I was coming to get you. You're going to love my mom's' spaghetti." He stated.

"If you say so, kid." Emma replied with a smile and ruffled his dark hair. He groaned and backed away from her with a chuckle, and they both entered the kitchen.

Regina stood at the table, salad bowl in hand and a red apron on. She looked adorable and it made Emma smile wide and wink at her when Regina looked up to meet her eyes. She saw the smile Regina returned didn't meet her eyes and a slight frown appeared on her lips.

"You okay?" Emma whispered when she walked towards the chair closest to Regina.

"I'm fine, Emma." Regina replied curtly.

But she wasn't fine, in fact she was a massive bitch for the next couple of days and she was strict on Emma memorizing her new life to the point of nightly flashcard sessions which surprisingly involved Henry who actually had some great tips on how to recall the information given. There was even a song he sang which made both woman fall over laughing. It was the first moment Emma felt like she truly made the right decision, as she wiped away her tears and held her stomach.

"I can't breathe!" She chuckled and then fell into another laughing fit.

"Henry...Hen...ry...!" Emma laughed and grabbed his arm to keep herself steady and to regain her composure again.

"Mom...Ma is funny!" Henry giggled, and looked between the two women.

Emma sobered up quickly and her eyes went wide. She glanced at Regina and was disappointed to see such a scowl on her beautiful face instead of that bight smile of laughter she held a few minutes ago.

"Henry, will you please go get ready for bed." Regina said as she began to gather up the flashcards in her hand. Henry sighed and looked over at Emma.

"Goodnight." He whispered, hurt.

"Goodnight, kid. Thank you for helping me." Emma replied and gave his arm a squeeze and watched him run up to his room.

Both women winced at the slam of the door and Emma stood up to sit on the plush sofa, her butt was numb.

"What's going on with you? You've been acting strange since Daniel came here the other day." Emma said, as she stared at Regina's retrieving form. She rolled her eyes and sighed. Another night alone on the couch she assumed. Just as she reached for the remote to watch some TV, she heard Regina.

"You don't even know me, Miss Swan!" Her tone was hard and demanding of something, but Emma didn't know of what.

"No, I don't!" Emma replied back as she set the remote back down on the table. "But I can tell when someone is lying to me, and I can tell something is wrong with you!" The conviction in her voice held Regina in place as they stared at each other.

Silence engulfed them and neither of them wanted to succumb first, stubbornness was a common trait.

"Regina." Emma sighed loudly and rubbed her hands over her face as she stood up. "Don't talk to me, fine. You were the one that wanted me to choose you and Henry and wanted me to welcome this new life of mine but it's kinda hard when my wife won't even look at me most of the time!" Emma yelled.

The look of surprise on Regina's face was priceless and as Emma walked away from her she felt the tug of Regina's hand on her arm.

"I'm sorry," Regina whispered, "sit down." she commanded and took Emma with her to the couch.

Emma sat down and waited. She felt so tired of this push and pull thing with her.

"Somehow Daniel found out-" Regina started and Emma watched her throat move as she swallowed. "He found out that I agreed to be your wife, he doesn't want Henry to be involved with lesbians and so he wants Henry." Regina whispered, as a tear slid down her face.

Emma gasped and then felt the need to comfort her but held back. "Can he do that? How did he find out?!" Emma asked, and her heart pounded in her chest. "If he found out...does that mean that Neal will find out!?" Emma panicked and her eyes went wide.

She felt Regina grab her hand and squeeze. "No, Emma. He won't find out. Daniel and I were together when I started to help the citizens with their new identities and he has a few connections. Which means we have a mole in this operation..." Regina trailed off in thought.

"I don't know if he can take him. But he is MY son!" Regina exclaimed frantically and removed her hand. Emma tilted her head to silently ask her to continue.

"He's my son, Emma!" Regina repeated and then Emma understood her meaning. The other day; the look of possessiveness.

"I'm sorry if I intruded or crossed some line...I just thought this was what you wanted. I mean...I'm sorry." Emma stated.

"I do...Ugh. I signed up for this, this was my choice...It's just hard to adjust..." Regina admitted softly. "It's been just him and I for so long. It's surprising how fast you two have connected and he's already calling you Ma...I...It hurts." Regina confessed.

Emma leaned forward and pulled Regina in a hug. "I get it" Emma said against her shoulder...and she felt Regina sigh.

"I don't know how to do this..." Regina said as she pulled back from Emma. Emma was loving this honesty from the brunette and she smiled.

"Neither do I, Gina." Emma said and Regina looked up at her questioningly.

"Gina?" Regina asked with a chuckle.

"Uh, you don't like it?" Emma nervously laughed.

"No, no. I do...It's just, Daniel used to call me that." Regina replied.

"Oh." Emma said

"It's okay, you can call me that. I'm just saying," Regina smiled.

"I think we have a lot to learn and a lot to figure out." Emma said, getting back to the main topic. Regina nodded her head in agreement.

"Just be patient with me, Miss Swan." Regina said and Emma nodded.

"I want us to be honest with each other from here on out. Communication is best and I don't want to make the same mistakes that I made with Neal. I want us to be equal and I don't want to fall back into a submissive woman who just sat and watched her significant other change into someone she had no clue she was marrying..." Emma trailed off. She felt Regina's warm hand back on her forearm.

"We'll figure this out together, Emma." Regina smiled.

"If at any point in time you feel like I crossed a line with Henry or if something I do hurts you in anyway, please tell me." Emma stated. Once again, Regina nodded her head in agreement.

"Okay, and same goes to you." Regina said.

"Okay" Emma said and they both smiled at each other.

Emma grabbed the remote, "Do you like Animal Planet?" She asked.

"Of course I do." Regina chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"Thank you for opening up to me." Emma said quickly, as she turned the channel to the program. A cat was getting stitched up from a cat fight.

Regina didn't respond but she did move closer to Emma on the couch and intertwined their hands together, as she laid her head on her shoulder.

Several minutes into the program, Henry came downstairs and quietly snuggled against his mom on the couch as they watched puppies being born.


	7. Chapter 7

Regina saw a change in Emma as the weeks passed, an acceptance of her new life had occurred, which is what Regina had hoped for. They weren't to the point of going public but she knew that Emma had improved since the day she got here. As each day passed, she got to know Emma a little more; Emma would explain what wasn't a lie as they read her file.

Regina also felt like she was changing as well. The thought of Emma being a friend or anything more felt...good. It felt natural and it allowed herself to open up to the blonde.

Her mind replayed the last few weeks and she sighed, thinking about Daniel and the mole; whomever that is. Regina talked to Gold and he reassured her that he would know if there was a mole. She had squinted her eyes at him, one evening, as they sat in his office.

"Regina, there is no mole!" Gold said,matter-of-factly.

"Well, how did he find out?!" She questioned him.

"Henry?" He asked and picked up a pen to quickly sign off on a document.

She watched him silently work.

 _Was it Henry that let something slip to his dad about Emma?_ She asked herself and then felt guilty for not paying him the attention she usually would have if it was just the two of them. Her attention was mostly on the blonde and it never occurred to her that Henry's easy and quick acceptance of the new and sudden addition to our household may have faltered. Maybe he changed his mind; he is 10 after all, she surmised.

She cleared her throat and stood up. "Thank you for your time, I'll see myself out.

"Regina, how are you and miss Nolan doing?" He asked as she walked away from him.

"It's Miss Swan. She's...we're doing good." She said and turned to walk away.

He chuckled under his breath and stood up to walk her out, "I'm happy to hear, Dearie."

As she walked into her front door, she heard a shout of protest coming from upstairs. She slid her heels off quickly and bolted up the stairs. As she approached the commotion,she opened Henry's door and saw her son and Emma in a heated game of Mario Kart. Emma was leaning her back against the side of Henry's bed on the floor and Henry was sitting on top of his bed.

"Noooo" Emma squealed

"Oh yeah, I'm in first place!" Henry cheered and then within seconds groaned, "Nooo not your banana peel!" He gave Emma a pout and she nudged him with her shoulder.

"I finally won, kid!" She fist pumped the air and chuckled and he joined in on her light laughter.

Regina watched the scene unfold in front of her and her heart ached. _Would she ever be able to accept her as his other mother?_ She wondered and again, shame and doubt filled her because at the same time, the scene put a smile on her face; she loved seeing the shine in her son's eyes, even if it didn't come from her.

"How many times have you won, Henry?" She asked stepping further in the room.

They both glanced up in surprise and Henry had a smug look, "Five times," and his smile widened.

"I won two," Emma announced with a pout and it was definitely the cutest thing Regina had seen all day.

"Well, at least you have a video game partner back," she mumbled and glanced at the floor. It was the one thing she just couldn't seem to bond with Henry over. Daniel was the one to get him into it.

"I like playing with you," She saw Emma genuinely smile,,which made Henry bounce in place with excitement.

"Thanks, Emma," he whispered and lunged forward to hug her.

Regina stepped out of the room and went towards her own, changing into pajamas. She sat on her bed with a sigh.

"Hey," She heard the blonde whisper as she stood by the door, her knuckles lightly knocking on the oak.

"He really likes you," Regina whispered and glanced up into green eyes. She saw how the blonde became apprehensive as she glanced at her feet.

Regina felt a tug in her chest to comfort Emma so she keeps talking even as Emma continues to stand by the door.

"It's okay, Emma. I'm just not used to seeing him like this. He has been so hurt about his dad and-" she trailed off and saw Emma slowly walk into the room. She felt the bed shift under her as the blonde sat down on the other side of the bed.

"He showed me pictures today of his sisters," she looked up at the blonde and slight jealousy surfaced.

"I thought we would be together forever," Regina whispered. "I thought I'd have more children."

Regina felt her heart break at the thought of the future she had envisioned with Daniel.

There was silence and she looked up to meet dark green eyes, "You okay?" She asked Emma as she turned her body to face the blonde.

She watched as Emma tried to speak and she closed her mouth again. She waited for her to reply.

"I had a baby," she confessed, and Regina's eyes went wide.

"That wasn't-" Regina began but stopped herself. Eventually she's going to have to stop referring to that damn file. She saw Emma's eyes hardened when she looked at her. "Sorry" she whispered.

"Neal and I- there was a time before we got engaged that we had a break...a break up. I found out that I was pregnant and I didn't think neither of us were ready and we weren't even together and I didn't want him to want me back just because of a baby so I ran..."

Regina watched the blonde struggle and she crawled over to sit beside her and took her hand.

"I ran off to a friend who lived two states away from me and I didn't speak to Neal for almost a year...he doesn't even know.

"Oh, Emma.." Regina said softly and tried to catch Emma's eyes as the green orbs looked anywhere but at her.

"She'll be turning three in a few weeks," Regina stayed silent and just sat with her and listened.

"All I know is that she was a girl, I told the social worker that I didn't want to see her because I knew that if I saw her, I wouldn't be able to give her up." The blonde ran her fingers in her long locks and finally looked at Regina.

"I named her Lillian Elizabeth, I don't even know if she got adopted or if she's in foster-" Emma couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.

"Do you want to find out?" Regina whispered and she knew that if Emma wanted to find her daughter, she would go to the ends of Earth to find her, which surprised the brunette immensely and her heart hummed.

"Gina-" Emma began.

"Mom what's for dinner?" Henry interrupted them and Regina sighed and felt the urge to scold him once again for interrupting.

"I'd like to go out and see the town," Regina heard Emma mumble and she stood up.

"Are you sure? I mean do you think you're ready for that?" Regina asked going to her dresser to grab an outfit to wear.

"I won't know until we try," the blonde said and walked towards Henry.

"Okay, let me get dressed," Regina said closing the door behind them.

Walking around the small town felt different this time, with the blonde walking next to her, their hands clasped together and swinging slightly at their midsections.

"This is where I broke my hand trying to play football," Henry chuckled and pointed at a small field next to a playground. Regina chuckled as well at the memory.

"He didn't want to stop playing, he wanted to finish the practice but I made him get in the car once I noticed the purple bruises forming."

"Ouch! I broke my hand once too," Emma exclaimed to Henry and Regina saw the flash of memory hit the blonde hard as her breathing got shallow.

"Cool! How?" Regina heard her son ask but her eyes were focused on Emma's painful face.

"Uh..." Emma mumbled and they continued to walk in silence, Henry looking up at Emma every few seconds wanting her to answer.

Regina squeezed her hand in comfort, and it brought Emma back to reality. Regina reminded herself to ask about that memory another time.

"Hey kid, I was young like you, I don't remember now," the blonde answered with a fake chuckle and shook her head.

"Okay!" Was his innocent reply as he skipped in front of them as they reached Granny's.

Regina stopped them in their tracks, "Are you okay?" She asked the blonde. The dark swirl of her emerald eyes were enough to convince her that she wasn't.

"I'll be okay," the blonde answered and turned to watch Henry walk inside the restaurant.

"If at any moment you want to leave,just let me know and we will," Regina said and began to walk towards the entrance. She sighed heavily as she held the door open for the Emma.

"Regina!" She heard Ruby call from the counter.

"Miss Lucas," Regina greeted as she walked over to the booth in the back where Henry was sitting down at.

Regina saw the looks and stares of the other customers and she felt Emma's hold on her hand tightened.

"Who is this?" Granny appeared at their table as Emma slid in the booth.

"I'm Emma, Regina's wife," Regina heard the confidence in Emma's voice as she spoke but the goosebumps that arose on her body and the butterflies that thrashed in her stomach told her that this was in fact a bad idea.

"Oh?" Granny questioned and tilted her head at Regina.

"Emma, this is Granny Lucas," Regina introduced her,her hand pointing to the woman.

"It's nice to meet you," Emma said with a smile

Regina saw the look of puzzlement in Emma's eyes as her green orbs looked over at her a moment later.

"Hot chocolate with cinnamon?" Granny asked Henry.

"Yes!" Henry and Emma said in unison and Regina smiled.

"You like that too?" She heard the surprise in Henry's voice.

"Oh yes!" Emma replied happily.

"That's so cool." Henry squealed and his eyes sparkled.

"You two are so cute!" Regina said, taking a sip of her water.

"You aren't ready for this, are you?" Emma asked quietly in Regina's ear.

"What do you mean?" Regina asked, as her stomach continued to tingle with butterflies. She was caught red handed.

"You know exactly what I mean, I saw the look on your face when I introduced myself as your wife!" Emma whispered sharply.

Regina glanced down at the table as she felt her face flush.

"I...It just doesn't…" Regina stumbled with her words and when she looked up into green eyes, she saw the hurt swirling in them.

"Just forget it." Emma mumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. She focused on Henry as he watched Ruby in the distance make a chocolate milkshake.

"Emma." Regina said tilting her head towards her to get the blonde to look at her.

Regina saw Emma glance at her from the corner of her eye and sigh.

"You wanted me to eat, breathe, and sleep Emma Swan but have you even accepted that you are now in a marriage with me?" Emma wonders.

Before Regina could respond, Granny came to the table with their drinks.

" Everything okay?" Granny asked as she eyed the three in the booth.

"Yes, fine, thank you." Regina clipped and gave her a small smile.

"I'll have a cheeseburger." Emma said taking a sip of her drink and smiling over the straw at Henry who was looking down at his hot chocolate like it was Christmas morning.

"Sure thing, what about you big guy?" Granny asked.

"He'll have a grilled cheese and I will have the chef salad please." Regina answered.

With the click of her pen, Granny closed her small notebook and walked away from them.

"I'm glad we came to eat here." Henry announced as he took another sip of his drink.

Emma and Regina smiled at him, but the air was thick with tension. Regina glanced over at Emma and saw her looking out the window next to her. The sun was setting and the town was covered in a yellow hue. Her green eyes sparkled against the descending sun.

 _Have I accepted this situation at all?_ Regina pondered and her eyes roamed the rest of the restaurant. She saw the townspeople eye them questionably and some even seemed judgmental. Regina wanted to disappear into the leather booth seat.

"No, I haven't accepted it." She whispered and suddenly realized she spoke out loud. She saw Emma turn her head towards her and shake her head slightly.

Regina gulped down her humiliation and took a sip of water.

They sat in silence until their food arrived.


	8. Chapter 8

"What's going on with you two?" Henry asked as he stabbed a piece of egg with his fork. The three of them sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast. It's been two days since Granny's, and his mom and Emma have been acting weird.

Regina glanced at Emma as she took a sip of her orange juice and then turned to look at her son. For being 10-years-old, he was a smart boy and she should have known that he would catch on to their tension or whatever it was that was happening between them. She felt it too, and she didn't know how to fix it or what to say. It was technically her fault, she felt.

"You're ten, you don't know anything" Emma mumbled and bit into her toast.

"Miss Swan! Apologize to my son, immediately!" Regina scolded and felt her entire body flush with anger. She turned to look at Henry and saw the hurt in his eyes, although his face remained neutral.

"Miss Swan!" Regina chidded again, and turned her attention on the blonde who was looking down at her now empty plate. Regina could tell that she was embarrassed.

Emma huffed and then whispered an apology to Henry as Regina returned to eating the rest of her food. The silence was thick and she felt the tension suffocating her. Regina rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"I'm going to go take a shower." Emma announced, as she got up and put her glass and plate in the sink. Regina watched her disappear into the foyer, she could tell that Emma was not okay and told herself she would talk to her later on about it.

"Is she okay? Are you okay?" Henry asked as he turned his body to face Regina's. He stared at her, waiting for an answer.

"Henry…" Regina began with a small sigh as she scooted her chair a little ways from the table to face her son, crossing her legs and setting her hands on her knee.

"You are ten years old, honey. You shouldn't be so worried about me, or Emma for that matter. It's our thing to work out." Regina stated, feeling annoyed that her son was taking on this burden.

"I like Emma here…" Henry whispered and his face fell. Regina could automatically pick up the fear he had.

"Henry, she's not going anywhere." Regina reassured.

"But you two are barely talking, and something is off! It feels…" Henry trailed off and sat back in his chair, pouting.

"It feels like what?" Regina questioned, and sat back in her chair as well. She heard the faint sound of music from upstairs, and mentally took note of it and tucked it into her Emma Swan file of facts.

"It feels like it did right before dad left." Henry confessed softly.

"I'm sorry," Regina whispered and continued, "Whatever is going on with Emma and I… I don't want it to worry you. Sometimes…" Regina trailed off in thought, and pondered if she should go down this train of thoughts.

"Mom?" Henry asked, as the silence continued.

Shaking her head slightly, she focused back on Henry.

"Sometimes parents argue and don't always seem happy." Regina felt her stomach tingle at the use of the word _parents_. "But know that no matter how we may seem, and what you may hear in regards to an argument...know that Emma is here to stay. Okay?"

Regina saw his lips pull up into a smile and his eyes beamed at her. She relaxed some in the chair, happy to see Henry smiling.

"Okay, but I hope you two can fix whatever is going on. Emma seems sad." Henry replied as he stood up to put his plate in the sink. He truly cared for Emma in such a short time, he didn't like seeing her so moody.

Regina's mind went haywire with images of Emma's face over the last couple of days. Just small moments of time Regina would glance at Emma, and she realized that she did indeed look sad. A wave of guilt and sadness of her own washed over her.

"Hey, Henry…" Regina said, as she stood up to clear the table of its contents. She exhaled a long breath and felt nervous.

"Yeah?" He asked as he grabbed the last remaining plate from the table. He looked up at his mom and saw her brows crease in thought. He wondered what has gotten her so rattled.

"Can I ask you something?" Regina turned to lean her lower back against the sink. Henry stood in front of her and mimicked her pose against the breakfast bar. When Henry nodded, Regina continued.

"Did you happen to mention anything about Emma and I to your dad? Perhaps you told him that Emma and I are your moms, now?" Regina asked softly. She didn't want to make him feel like she was attacking him.

Henry's eyes went wide and he shook his head vigorously.

"No. I didn't say a word, mom!" Henry said quickly, a dread was felt in his stomach.

"Well, what have you told him?" Regina questioned, crossing her arms in front of her chest, impatiently waiting for his answer. His answer could make or break this conspiracy theory on the mole.

"I told dad that Emma was staying with us, that you are helping her…" Henry replied, and his forehead creased in confusion.

"Honey, I just wanted to know. You aren't in trouble." Regina said to ease her son's worry.

"Henry, are you okay with Emma and I?" Regina asked stepping away from the sink to brush back the hair that fell into Henry's eyes.

Henry leaned into her palm and a small smile formed. It had been a while since he felt his mother's touch. His body hummed in appreciation.

"It's been some time since we talked about this and I just want to know how you feel, baby. Have you changed your mind about wanting Emma as family? You can tell me, I promise I won't get mad." Regina pressed on.

Henry turned slightly and wrapped his arms around Regina's torso. Regina looked down at her son and smiled. His chin rested at the valley of her breasts, and she realized how tall he had gotten.

"I like Emma here. I'm okay with her being family. I want to help her. She needs us." Henry spoke quietly.

Regina's heart burst at the simplexity of his love for a stranger. She felt triumphant for raising such an amazing boy.

"I agree, honey." Regina squeezed her son's body tight and enjoyed the hug as her eyes slipped closed. She kissed the top of his head and breathed in his scent.

"If at any point you think differently, you let me know." Regina whispered into his hair and felt Henry nod.

Henry stepped out of her embrace and his face was flushed.

"I'm going to take a shower. I think Ma is done now." He announced sheepishly.

Regina nodded her head and grabbed her phone off the counter.

' _We have a mole!_ ' Regina typed out in a text message to Robin.

' _No we don't. Gold told me about your conversation with him_ ' came the text immediately afterwards.

Sighing, Regina walked to the living room and sat on the couch, her fingers typing quickly.

' _Yes we do! Why would Gold talk to you about our conversation?!_ ' Regina huffed in annoyance and tried to think of reasons why Gold would do such a thing.

Her phone vibrated in her hand and she looked down.

' _He wanted me to look into Daniel, wanted me to ask him who told him about you and Hope'_

' _It's Emma! And why would he ask you? You don't even talk to Daniel...Why didn't he ask me?_ ' A pang of jealousy hit her, and Regina felt irritated that she still was treated unfairly in the workplace.

Regina locked her phone and closed her eyes. Her headache had surfaced and she scooted lower on the couch to rest her head on the arm rest. She felt her phone vibrate but didn't check it. Her eyes felt heavy, and she allowed her body to relax as she drifted off to sleep.

She heard her name being called from the distance. Stirring, Regina opened her eyes to see Emma staring down at her.

"Hey," Regina said sleepy, and suddenly self conscious that Emma had seen her sleeping.

'Hey, I didn't want to wake you earlier, but Henry left to go hang with a kid named Joe." Emma said cautiously.

"Joe McCarthy, he's a good kid." Regina replied, sitting up on the couch. She winced at the soreness of her neck.

"Yeah, he did say you wouldn't have minded. He said he would be home for dinner." Emma replied, sitting next to Regina on the couch.

"How long have I been asleep?" Regina asked, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. She glanced at her phone to see 3 text messages and 1 missed call from Gold.

"About an hour," Emma said and glanced down at her hands, "Regina?"

Unlocking her phone, Regina heard Emma say her name and goosebumps rose on her skin. She glanced at Emma and noticed her eyes were cast downwards.

"Yeah?" Regina asked, setting her phone aside and giving Emma her full attention.

"We need to talk about what's been going on since Granny's." Emma said as she tried to foretell how the conversation would go, and was already conjuring up replies in her head.

Regina nodded her head in agreement, "Yeah, it's affecting Henry and I don't want it to... He may be ten, Emma, but he is a smart boy and he catches on pretty fast, as you noticed."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry about earlier." Emma replied and turned her body to sit in the corner of the couch, facing Regina.

"What's going on with you? Are you struggling with the adjustment?" Regina asked and she scolded herself for not noticing; it was her job to notice this kinds of things.

"No, I'm not struggling... I mean I haven't been sleeping well but besides that...I feel...I feel hurt, Regina, that you don't accept what's in that stupid file!" Emma raised her voice as her hands flew up in protest. "You preach that stupid file, you are the one that encouraged me to choose this new path of mine, and yet you haven't even accepted it yourself, you are a hypocrite!"

Regina swallowed the shame that rose up in her at being caught and watched Emma's chest rise and fall intensely.

"Miss Swan, I would appreciate it if you don't call me names!" Regina felt off kilter and knew deep down Emma was right.

"I'm not! I'm just saying… you aren't playing fair! You expect so much from me and for me to embrace my life as Emma but you… you haven't changed, have you?" Emma tried to control her breathing and her frantic thoughts; it felt good to get this off her chest.

"What do you mean?" Regina asked, on alert. Her heart was racing and she felt like Emma was simply trying to pick a fight. It was the last thing she needed or wanted.

There was silence that filled the room as Emma gathered her thoughts.

"I had to change my mindset, my memories, and my entire life and I don't feel like you've changed from the woman you were before I entered your life. Yeah, you allowed a stranger in your house, who bonds with your son, and okay I don't know who you were before this. But what really have you done differently? What changed?" Emma pondered, as she looked at the overwrought brunette.

Regina sat there and took in Emma's question; after a few minutes she internally admitted that Emma was correct, she really hasn't changed at all.

"I haven't changed, you're right. You _had_ to change, you had to take on Emma's persona and I…" Regina trailed off. She felt uncomfortable but pushed through, "I didn't…I don't have that necessity… I chose to take you under my wing in a more personal way and be your wife, but like what I said at Granny's, I didn't truly accept that by doing what I agreed to do, I had to change as well."

"You didn't have to change to be safe." Emma added, and nodded her head in understanding.

"I don't know what to do… how to be with a woman" Regina confessed her lack of knowledge. "I thought about it, once. I support LGBTQ 100%."

"I was with a woman in a group home once, but it wasn't anything serious. Our foster parents didn't like how close we were getting, so they shipped her off to a different family." Emma smiles softly at the memory.

"What was it like?" Regina asked, and blushed when she looked up at Emma.

"I can show you tonight if you'd like?" Emma asked nonchalantly and felt a jolt of arousal in the pit of her stomach at the mere suggestion.

Regina felt her face heat up and she knew her eyes were wide and her heart started to race.

"I... uhm...I-" Regina couldn't form a sentence and all she kept thinking about was the kissing scene she saw in _Imagine Me & You._

She came back to reality when she heard Emma snicker and then laughed out loud, her head fell back towards the back of the couch and Regina watched her body shake with laughter. Quickly she felt her own body succumb to the contagious laughter from the blonde, and her giggles erupted.

"Oh man, you should have seen the look on your face!" Emma said as her laughter died down, and she winked when she caught Regina's eye.

"Shut up!" Regina barked and tried her Mayoral tone on the blonde, and within seconds, Emma was silent and was staring at her with wide eyes.

"What?" Regina asked, feeling tingles throughout her body at the look Emma was giving her. Her green eyes were darkening, but had this sparkle in them at the same time.

"No-nothing." Emma stuttered and got off the couch to stretch her limbs.

Regina's eyes locked on the bare flesh that was exposed on Emma's torso when she reached up to stretch. Quickly, she averted her eyes and coughed to hide her embarrassment.

" But I think we need to sleep together." Emma stated suddenly.

Regina's cough got louder and her head felt dizzy, "What?!" she shrieked and looked at Emma.

Regina watched the blonde's cheeks turn red and Emma shrugged her shoulders. For the briefest of moments, Emma saw herself on top of Regina on the couch, her lips kissing-

"If we are supposed to be wives and… you know eventual lovers…" Emma trailed off and glanced at Regina's bashful expression. Emma chuckled to hide her own nerves and shook her head of the mental image she had.

"We should at least try it out… try out sleeping together, you know… just sleep." Emma said quickly and avoided eye contact with Regina.

"Okay, we'll try tonight." Regina heard herself say before she could fully comprehend what Emma just asked.

The tension that Regina wanted gone had indeed vanished, but in its place was the anxiety of what's to come.

"Do you want me to show you the plans for the new addition to the police department?" Regina asked, rising from the couch. She needed a distraction or possibly a cold shower.

"Sure, lead the way, Madame Mayor." Emma stated and followed Regina to her office.

"When can I start work?" Emma asked Regina as she closed the door to the office.

"I'm thinking in the next couple of weeks, I'd really like you to be apart of the changes to the station." Regina replied over her shoulder as she got the file out of her desk drawer.

"I don't have any experience with being a Deputy. What would I have to do?" Emma asked taking a seat on the couch.

Glancing up at Emma, Regina said, " Well, you will be supervised by our Shieff, David. You will start out patrolling the town at night and the major crime hot spots. You can make arrests and respond to called for assistance."

Emma nodded her head in excitement for her new job and focused on the file in Regina's hand.

Absorbed in the blueprints of the Police Department addition, neither woman knew how much time escaped them until they heard Henry call out.

"Mom!" Henry slammed the front door closed.

Regina met Henry in the hallway as she checked her watch, groaning at the time.

"We are ordering in, it's too late to cook."

"Pizza?!" Henry and Emma shouted together.

"One would think you birthed him." Regina said, rolling her eyes as she glanced between the two happy faces.

Regina grabbed a piece of pizza from the box and with her other hand she slapped the small hand that reached for another piece.

"You already had three, Henry!" Regina chided and took a bite of the cheesy goodness.

"He's a growing boy, Gina. Let him have one more slice!" Emma said as she added more ranch to her plate. Regina cringed at the offending condiment. _Disgusting._

"Yeah! Listen to Ma!" Henry said with a smile as he picked up another slice. He eyed Regina's face as he slowly brought the tip of the pizza to his lips.

"Fine! But no ice cream!" Regina gave in and watched her son greedily take a huge bite.

Regina glanced over at Emma and her stomach fluttered when she saw a pink tongue lick the excess ranch from her lips. Her breath hitched at the reaction her body had. ' _I can show you tonight if you'd like_ ' played like a loop in Regina's mind and she groaned and took a big gulp of her water.

"You okay?" Emma whispered leaning towards Regina's chair. She was glad they were back to normal, well as normal as you can giving their situation.

"I'm fine, Miss Swan." Regina barked out and suddenly stood up. _Why must she care so much?_

"I'm going to take a shower, will you two please clean up and then it's time for bed, Henry."

Regina watched as Emma and Henry nodded their heads in usion. She walked away and as she reached the staircase, she heard Emma giggle.

"I'm telling your mom!" And "You already had four!"

Regina chuckled and shook her head slightly, ascended the stairs. The sound of laughter really was a contagious sound.

Towel drying her hair, Regina padded softly on the plush carpet back into her bedroom. She was too engrossed with her towel so she didn't notice Emma was in her bed under the thick comforter of her black bedding.

"Your hair is pretty curled, have you thought about embracing your waves?" Emma asked unexpectedly.

Regina screamed and jumped a foot back, the towel falling to the ground and her hands landed on her chest; her heart beating fast.

"Jesus, Emma you scared me! Don't do that ever again!" Regina seethed as she tried to calm herself down.

Chuckling, Emma slumped down into the bed. She liked seeing Regina in this rare form; natural and vulnerable.

"I'm sorry. I thought you saw me when you came out of the bathroom." She apologized.

Regina rolled her eyes and sat the towel on her vanity chair. Dressed in black silk pajama set, she stood at the foot of the bed and stared at Emma. A feeling of annoyance surfaced at the thought of how much Emma was invading her personal space. That was _her_ bed.

"If this is too much, I can leave…" Emma said, as if she could read Regina's mind.

"No, I told you we would try." Regina whispered as she hesitantly walked to her side of the bed.

Regina settled into her familiar spot and immediately felt the warmth of Emma's body heat under the comforter.

"Goodnight, Emma." Regina whispered, wanting to get this over with, she turned the lamp off and the room went black. Regina was distinctly aware of Emma's body next to hers.

"Goodnight, Regina." Emma whispered.

Silence fell around them and neither women said a damn word, their minds were racing and their postures were rigid. Not knowing exactly what to say to the woman next to her, Regina closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.

Regina stirred awake when she felt a jab to her ribs and then a small whimper filled the silence of the room. Waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, she saw a mess of blonde hair next to her chin. Regina was on her side facing a restless Emma. Another whimper came from the blonde and Regina was awake and alert.

"Emma?" Regina whispered, lifting her head off her pillow to peak over the body.

Silence. Regina returned her head to her pillow and wondered what Emma was dreaming of.

"Neal, No!" Emma cried out and Regina sat up quickly to look down at a still sleeping Emma.

Moistening her dry lips, Regina stared at Emma and waited for another sign of distraught. As if on cue, Emma whined incoherently and out of motherly instinct. Regina laid back down next to Emma and wrapped her arm around her chest. She shushed Emma softly and rocked her tenderly.

"No, please!" Emma whined and Regina felt a kick to her shin.

Regina pulled her closer to her chest and whispered soothingly.

"Emma, I'm here, you are okay."

After a few tries at reassuring Emma,she felt her body relax against her own and her breathing evened out.

Regina held Emma a little longer, telling herself she wanted to make sure Emma was truly asleep before letting go of her and rolling over to her side. But within seconds, she was sound asleep.


End file.
